This morning the alarm went off and I fumbled around for the crank that opens my eyelids. Got them opened and propped the up with steel posts then creaked and popped and groaned into a semi-upright position and scratched, clawed, and staggered my way into the kitchen to make a pot of starting fluid. With a cup in my hand I groped my way back to my desk and sat on my massaging cushion for a while until things started to crack and pot and return to their original, factory settings.

After an hour of that I made my way out in the yard and we got to work on finishing up the Saturn. First order of business was raising the car up high enough to get the engine assembly out from under it. Then dragging the engine to the side of the trailer with the DragonFly. Then hooking the engine to the the engine hoist and pulling it out from under the car with the DragonFly.

Saturns have a large aluminum bumper under the cover so we used the DragonFly to rip the covers off and reclaim the aluminum. That done I set about tearing apart the Honda transmission while Steph worked on the Saturn engine.

After I got the trans apart I started to take the tires off a junk tractor that I am going to trade for the Ag tires – if the woman ever calls back. One tire all but fell off, the other was on there for life. I mean it wasn't coming off come hell or high water. After trying every trick I knew I finally got medieval on it. I broke out the Sawzall and lopped off the axle. The rear end is locked up so it is no great loss. I brought it home for the 20 HP Kohler.

Once those were off Steph took Christine to the tire shop to pick up the aluminum rims we dropped off a couple days ago. And to drop off the Saturn rims.

Once she got home we got moving.

We dropped off the car at the scrap yard and then went to Harbor Freight to get some new gloves because all of ours are celebrating the new pope – they are holy.

Before we left we tossed the tractor tires in the back of the BlueOx just in case the lady called back. Sure enough she did. So we made a run to her house and grabbed her set of AG tires.

The plan was that I would take the tires with me and to the tire shop Saturday morning and get them swapped on the rims and then bring them back up to her.

After we got home Steph was taking the tires out of the truck and realized that there was a huge difference in sizes. The ones I got from the lady are 23x10 – 12. Mine were 23x8- 12 The widts was glaringly obvious with them sitting side by side. She went and looked at all the other tractors and found a set of 9.5 and a set of 10s. I decided to take them both to the tire shop. If the 9.5s fit then She would get those, if not I would have to buy some tubes and put them in the 10s.

I worked out in the yard taking apart Honda transmission till I was too tired to do any more. Then I showered and collapsed into the bed.

Today I slept in till 9 and felt almost human when I woke up. After an infusion of caffeine I could feel my heart start and things got going.

Got out in the yard by 10 and got the 9.5 and 10 inch tires off their respective tractors and loaded them and a bunch of other tractor tires in Christine and headed off to the tire shop.

The tire guy said he hated me when I showed up. Those little tires are a pain. $20 later and I had the AG tires on my rims and the 9.5s on her rims and the rest of the tires and rims loaded up int eh truck and I headed back home.

Pulled the DragonFly over to where the tools were and pulled the narrow Ags that were on it off. One of the bolts on the wheel weights was actually set into the weight so I had to grind the bevel off of a ¾ inch socket to get it out. She got the wide Ags on. Now baby got back.

My buddy, Reid, showed up and told me the crane was ready. I had an old machinist vice gave it to him for his labor.

I put the chains back on but the valve stems are facing the wrong direction to put the weights on it. I do have a plan to modify a set a Case weights to work – Stay tuned.

Then the Hemorrhoid went up on the jack and the pathetic turf tires came off and the narrow Ags went on. It sits up a bit higher in the rear so I will have to adjust the deck later. It also got the Craftsman weights. After we go them on I pulled it up behind the DragonFly that was sitting in gear with the parking brake set and pushed it across the yard. Much better now. It might actually be useful now.

Then Steph pulled all the stray rims and tires out of Christine and then headed off to deliver the turf tires.

Got there and they couldn't get the 0 turn mower started. I hosed WD-40 in the carb and let it sit while I took the spark plugs out. After they were cleaned and gapped I had him turn the engine over till it spit the oil out. Then the plugs went back in gas was poured in the carb. He turned it over and it started And the fuel line began pouring gas.

I left him to replace the line and headed towards home.

Passed this beautiful train on the way. Almost looks like a toy

Made a stop at Reid's to grab my crane and look at his JD 318.

Got home an immediately pulled the crane off Christine and hooked it up to the DragonFly. Steph helped me get the Saturn engine and transmission that was hanging on the other crane hooked up to the modified crane and moved over to my hospital gurney/work bench.

Then I spent about 3 hours trying to get the engine and trans separated. So many bolts were cross threaded or stripped it took me forever to get them apart. I wound up breaking 3 sockets and having to employ the angle grinder. Finally got it done and pushed the gurney with the tools and transmission on it under the carport and called it a day.

Got up after sleeping until 930. Man it felt good. Coffee was ingested and then it was time to dress and hit the yard.

Since we had a huge mess the first order of business was trying to clean it up some. That meant we had to get the big wagon fixed. It had tiny flat hand truck tires on it so it needed some help. One of them had no valve stem in it so no hope of airing it up. The other one had a valve stem so Steph tried to air it up. At 10 PSI it exploded. The whole sidewall blew out – my ears are still ringing. I had a bent hand truck that had the same tires and we started to mount them. The ends of the axle were buggered so I got out the angle grinder and promptly ground down the index finger on my left hand.

After putting the hand truck tires on I had a better idea. I have a stack of tractor tires. It now has a set of yellow rims with turf tires. They are much bigger and don't require 354 spacers to fill up the axle. Also made a quick and dirty tailgate for it with a piece of OSB.

A friend was asking how the axle on the crane was made so I did a quick video - yes I need a haircut. If the weather stays warm I will get sheared.

Once that was done I started on the Saturn transmission again while Steph cleaned up the aluminum.

After a protracted battle the engine and transmission were disassembled. Then the incredibly greasy cleanup began. Everything was covered in gunk. I went through about 20 pairs of rubber gloves during the tear down. They were cheap and thin so they tore easy.

Finally all the tools were up and the metal was all stacked neatly

and I came in to take off my greasy clothes and play with Heath.

Tonight I have to go to get a 10x 8 dog pen that will becomes Heath outdoor playpen and keep him out of the tools and oil pans while we are working. I will put a tarp over it so it is shaded and put lots of toys in it so he should love it. His actual playpen is tiny and he gets bored after a while. I am sure someone will say it is cruel but I don't care. Better than him drinking motor oil.

I am also supposed to pick up a tractor of some sort that has been under a house for 15 years. Should be interesting. I am waiting on him to call.

Started off taking the DragonFly and the crane to move the now rear tireless Craftsman II. SO I hooked up to the remainder of the trans-axle and pulled it around to the carport. Along the way the front tire came off and the axle dug a nice rut. So I jacked it up and put the tire back on the front and called for Steph to come out and keep kicking the tire on while I moved it.

We got it around to the carport and put the rear-end on a dolly and she pushed it up in the carport with the Hemorrhoid.

Then I hooked up to another derelict and moved it to out of the way – only thing that went right all day.

The big trailer was sitting in the middle of the yard behind the WarBeast that still has no throttle body on it. The trailer was in the way so it needed to be moved. I hooked the crane up to the tongue and started to pull. Things were going great – then it started to sprinkle. It made things just slick enough that I couldn’t pull. Even with Ags and chains it spun. By this point the trailer was blocking the entire yard and there was no way to hook anything else up to it to move it.

So Steph got on the Hemorrhoid and started pushing. Things were great - until the trailer decided it wanted to go down the hill regardless of where I wanted it to go. Turned the crane over. Thought the DragonFly was going with it. After about 30 minutes of re-chaining, pushing, blocking, cussing and yelling the trailer finally decided it had to to where I wanted it to go – then I had a flat on the front of the DragonFly.

Aired it up and found a large hole in the tire. I have no inner tube for it at the moment so I pulled a tire off another tractor and stuck it on. Now it has one AG and one drag slick on it.

FINALLLLY the trailer was beat into submission and tucked in behind the building where it is out of the way and can be used as a work platform since it has bent axles is is useless for pulling right now.

Then we went and snagged the little tractor I got last night for $56. (That is what I had in my pocket). It got snagged. Got it off the trailer and the chain came off of it. Got it back on the crane and pulled it over to the carport, dropped it on the ground, pushed it next to the Craftsman.

I finally said enough is enough we are done. Steph said she was going in to put on dry clothes. I thought she meant because the cuff of her pants was wet. I did not realize how wet I was till I sat down in the shop and quit moving around.

Then things got a bit better. The engine on the little tractor is not frozen and turns freely with the battery charger hooked up. Maybe it is a runner. If it is I have a friend who is wanting a tractor to replace his RER snapper that was used by Adam to mow the garden of Eden.

Looks like it was well cared for. The oil is even clean.

Steph went to the store and just sent me a text that Heath decided to bail out of the shopping cart. He doesn't appear to have hurt anything but his pride, but it is just one more thing on a rainy Monday. Maybe he will figure out that whole gravity thing soon.

May have to cancel the museum job for tomorrow due to weather. I was looking forward to getting pictures of the old car I have to work next to.